[TrunkCom] 895 computer control

[Mike Agner]

   Last night, RCH wrote:
====================
Being in So Cal with the fires close, looking for a good computer control
program for the radio. Was using Scancat (4 year old version) and it keep
crashing.

Any ideas AND freq's?
====================
   Several, actually.  You could write Jim Springer - he's usually quite 
responsive to requests and questions.  The last time I looked, his email id 
was scancat@scancat.com.  It kinda sounds like an upgrade is in order if 
it's that old.
   There's a Yahoo group devoted to Scancat; you might also get some hints 
and tips there.
   You didn't say which operating system you are using, so it's difficult 
to recommend a program.  If you are using a Win9x version (i.e. Win95, and 
any flavor of Win98) there are a couple of freeware programs that might 
interest you.  They're called PC895 (the grandfather of Winscan), 
Freetracker and Softrol.  The first 2 are available at either BC895 groups 
at Yahoo; Softrol is available at the Canadian 895 group.  If you use 
Softrol, be sure to download both versions 6.5 and 7.5, as there were 
numerous fixes applied to correct faults in the 895 handling.
   Other than that, I know several folks that like Winscan, but it's not 
rated to run on anything but a 9x or NT/4 system.  It *might* run on XP in 
compatibility mode, though (if that's what you're running).  Radio Manager 
(both the older and newer RM2002 version) is a bit tricky to set up; the 
older version runs very well, although it doesn't work with PLs; I tried 
RM2002, and found that, at least in conventional scanning, the 895s with 
older firmware don't work at all.  Unfortunately, Ben doesn't sound too 
enthusiastic about tracking the problem down :.((
   As to frequencies, I'd joining the Southern California scanning Yahoo 
group; they're likely to have lots of freqs to check related to the fire.

   And now to the all-important URLs:
   The Scancat egroup at Yahoo,  links for the 895 Yahoo groups, PC895, 
Freetracker, Softrol, Winscan, Radio Manager and Radio Manager 2002 can be 
found here:
   http://www.strongsignals.net/access/content/software.html

   and as for the Southern California Scanning 
group:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/socalscan/.
   And now a slightly off topic comment, but it's germaine, I promise...
   I got on the air yesterday, before the solar storms, using the Social 
Security Admin ham station (W3SSA) and managed to hook up with K6GAO, who 
is in the San Diego area (I was on 10 meters at the time).  He said that 
many repeater's emergency power supplies were simply giving up (with 
numerous power lines down) and even a couple of repeaters went up in 
smoke.  I would expect that other public repeaters are probably dying out, 
too.  So I'll bet that the many public service freqs in the San Diego area 
are also being affected.  Here's hoping that this situation is resolved 
quickly, with no more deaths and injuries.
   73s and GL...Mike  Strong Signals Software page editor